The Barefoot Emperor: An Ethiopian Tragedy

by Philip Marsden

A fascinating excursion into a bizarre episode in 19th century Ethiopian and British imperial history, The Barefoot Emperor recalls the reign of the Emperor Theodore, who defended his mountain-top stronghold with a massive 70-ton gun.

Genres: History, Africa, Ethiopia, Nonfiction, Biography, 19th Century, British Literature

432 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2008

About the author

Philip Marsden is the author of a number of works of travel writing, fiction and non-fiction, including The Bronski House, The Spirit Wrestlers and The Levelling Sea. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and his work has been translated into fifteen languages. He lives in Cornwall.

Reviews

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read The Shadow King By Maaza Mengiste & Burnt Sugar By Avni Doshi 2 Books Collection Set which made me want to find another book on Ethiopia. I saw this in the local library thinking this was about Hailie Selassie. I was wrong but so happy I was.
I knew nothing about the self-titled King of Kings Tewodros and his 14 year reign. Nor of England's over the top military response to the capture of a couple of handful of Europeans. The story is quite bizarre so much so that at times I thought I was reading a Henry Rider Haggard tale.
The author recreates the time, place and people in an entertaining but factual way. If only all historians could write like this.

[K.J. Charles]

A peculiar chapter in history: the calamitous reign of a unifying Ethiopian emperor who was also a raging psychotic, and the increasing calamity of the British effort to rescue hostages from him (which could probably have been achieved without bloodshed by not being arrogant jerks in the first place, and isn't that the story of empire).

Some great vignettes of unexpected characters, especially the British Indian representative Rassam who is the closest thing to a hero of the story, and the 6'6 ginger Ethiopia-phile Captain Speedy. We don't get much of a sense of Tewodros as a person after his rise to power but given he was barking mad and horrifically murderous, that's possibly a good thing. There is enough to give a sense of the national unifier who could have achieved far more.

Well told, but one of those histories that makes you feel rather bleak about humanity.

[Sportyrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story about an Ethiopian Emperor’s rise to power. The Emperor began with good intentions but soon displayed psychotic behaviour habitually imprisoning people, particularly Europeans. The emperor’s mindgames were horrible, he would often befriend his captives and make them praise him and then free them just so he could recapture them. The plight of the captives is among the worst I have read about.

This book is a fantastic, historical account of the events. Unlike books from it’s genre, this book was an addictive page-turner, not dry at all. All the minor/major events are told in accurate, well-researched detail but for me, I think the difference was the constant wondering whether the prisoners will escape, be saved or be slaughtered. It is the constant theme. Some who had favour with the Emperor were treading ever so carefully to secure better conditions for the others and act strategically as an envoy and advisor. With the emperor’s temperament flicking from benevolent to cruel at the slightest imagined provocation, it was a difficult position to be in.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history, military strategy and stories about imprisonment.

[Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Marsden using narrative skills looks into a bizarre episode in 19th century Ethiopian and British imperial history. At the height of its imperial powers, the British Crown was given a good run for its money by Tewodros II, emperor of Ethiopia. Writing to Queen Victoria to request help in making weaponry, Tewodros kept several European missionaries hostage while he awaited her reply. When her letter finally arrived he refused to let them go, apparently dismayed at the loss of their company, and the British sent in an expeditionary force to face him. Right up to the final showdown with the captivating, maniacal Tewodros, Marsden keeps up the pace in this thoroughly researched account.

[Tinea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quite well told story of Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros's divine rise to power, his fall into the crazies, his weird obsession with Europeans and mundane obsession with guns, and the British invasion that broke him and his Empire. Tewodros is mostly considered a hero because he united a lot of Ethiopia (he was the dude who most united the country prior to Menelik II creating the nation-state) and because his death was, I guess, "honorable." Whatever, dude was a monster, and this book is all about his monstrosity. We get tales about throwing people by the hundreds off cliffs, burning townsfolk alive for kicks, lots of the cutting off of the hands and feet, and the good old stick beatings resulting in death of subjects cowering in front of the Emperor. And of course, continual plunder and starvation of peasants, which is like the big theme running across all Ethiopian emperor-despots (this being a fertile, cool country that has almost always produced enough yet continues to this day to have one of the highest percentages of undernourished people, almost entirely the fault of some version of colonial or imperial plunder).

Tewodros loved him some Europeans. Like, literally. Any European explorer or missionary that managed to reach his kingdom in the Amhara highlands was welcomed with gifts and then forbidden to ever leave. The envoys sent by governments to secure the return of their countrymen were also imprisoned. Imprisonment ranged from chilling all day with the Emperor to starvation on the top of a big mountain bound and hog-tied in chains attached to wrists and ankles, forcing you to live for months in a perpetual squat. European prisoners passed in and out of favor with the changing of Tewdodros's bipolar moods, and the slightest accidental "insult" could result in torture.

Eventually, the British got annoyed that the "barefoot Abyssinian" who fought with spears and stuff kept imprisoning all the officials they kept sending in an effort to retrieve the previously captured officials. So they launched one of the biggest military campaigns of their colonial rule, sparing no expense (the general in charge later admitted he forgot to worry about money). They imported hundreds of thousands of mules from across the British Empire, only to have them all get sick and die by the thousands on the hot Eritrean coast before heading inland. They even brought elephants from India! They launched this insanely massive invasion, loaded with guns, Indian militias, and pack animals, all to rescue some handful of dudes imprisoned for years on the top of a mountain by a king who they scoffed at, prior to taking him and his landscape on in battle.

This is a thrilling history told through a lot of reference to firsthand accounts, fun. Captures a place and gives an idea of a person.

[Elizabeth]

I whizzed through the first hundred pages of this, finding it engaging and brilliant, and then bogged down--probably because that's what the plot does, too (it does have plot, though it's really a biography). The story of Tewodros's life up to the point where he starts to lose his grip is thrilling, heroic and heartbreaking (the comparison to Macbeth is apt); but the latter 4/5 of the book, after he's clearly gone nuts, chronicles in detail the dreary daily round of his handful of British prisoners and it just seems to go on and on. I know it DID go on and on, but in the telling it just seems like random-act-of-violence followed by random-threat followed by random-act-of-violence for 200 pages; I lost track of who was who, how many letters had been sent, lost, gone unanswered, which of his generals had been executed, etc. I am sure the author was somewhat aware of this problem in the text--every time Tirunesh, the emperor's estranged wife, was mentioned, she was ALWAYS called "Tirunesh, the emperor's estranged wife," presumably in case you'd forgotten who she was. (I know this trick.)

Things picked up again at the end when the British army under Napier finally arrived and drove Tewodros to suicide. It's a good book and a wonderful, obscure bit of British history; just a bit draggy in the middle.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it in earnest. Despite a relatively busy schedule, the pages went by in just a few days. As a result, I've become of fan of Philip's writings and look forward to reading some of his other works soon. As is often the case, at least in my case, this is another book that really deserves a 4+ star rating in that it is extremely informative and captivating. It is also a tragedy, as it's title states, as it describes the much trouble and violent life of one of Ethiopia most cerebrated emperors. Unfortunately just about all the documentation of Tewodros II life is from an outsider's perspective. Though their accounts of his life seem accurate and neutral, a life such as his is almost impossible to paint correctly without an account of Tewodros life from an "insiders" point of view.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Shoa, when they heard of the death of Tewodros the joy was so great that they simply added the event to the end of Easter and continued to celebrate. Their own sovereign, King Menelik, did not join in. He went away and grieved in private – not for the brutal enemy Tewodros had become in the last few years, but for the man who had once figured as a father to him, and whose daughter he had married. He grieved for a military commander of genius, who saved the country from the threats of the Mesafint, whose ambitions proved too high – or too early – for the country. Most of all he grieved for a martyr who, rather than surrender to his enemy, took his own life.

I had read about this chapter of Ethiopian history in the past, but never in such detail. Marsden must have devoted a huge chunk of his life researching this and reading the many biographical accounts of the Europeans who lived through this ordeal and their imprisonment at the hands of Tewodros, from Blanc to Rassam to the many others held captive. Tewodros was an Emperor who preceded his times, fought to unite the country, almost a medieval King with medieval instruments - torture, death, destruction, plundering. His violent and unstable personality in the end, as well as his constant paranoia were his downfall. However, the context of the times and the huge difficulties he had to face in his attempts at making Ethiopia united - the clergy and the Church, the enemies and different factions and tribes, the lack of educated subjects, the harsh weather and terrain, the lack of arms - somehow explain (though not justify) his actions. In the field he was a military genius.

I enjoyed this work profoundly as I usually do anything that brings me more knowledge of this unique gift to humankind called Ethiopia. I would have liked however more context and a wider perspective of the events within Eastern African and Middle Eastern geopolitics. I also think the British come out too well in this account. Considering the abysmal treatment of Tewodros over the years and the utter misjudgement and arrogance of the then British government and empire, I would have liked a more incisive stance on how the many diplomatic blunders of the times by the British individuals invoved, not least the nomination of the then consul to Ethiopia Charles Duncan Cameron (alas a man devoid of any diplomatic skills) were the cause of this tragic chapter in Anglo-Ethiopian relations as much as if not more than Tewodros' actions.

[Zelalem Alemu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep dive into the reign of Tewodros II. It is an important piece of literary work told from journals obtained from Tewodros' captives during his fourteen year reign as Emperor of Ethiopia. Tewdros, famously ended the rule of the "Zemene Mesafint" or "Era of the Judges" and forged together one Christian nation; Abyssinia or present day Ethiopia. In addition, his shortcomings as a leader are well-chronicled and discussed. As an Ethio-American, I was curious to read about this greatly complicated man and gain an understanding of his bigger than life stature among most Ethiopians. His struggle was to unite Ethiopia by any means necessary. He succeeded achieving that feat but for constant rebellions kept him from furthering his reign. He was an astute military mind feared by his adversaries near and far including Menelik II as well as the British empire. While this book reveals some harsh realities about the times of Tewodros, I firmly believe it is a necessary read for all Ethiopians to assess for themselves.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing biography of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia by Philip Marsden who ruled during Victorian times.
This history illustrates, once again, how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Ultimately Tewodros is a tragic figure. This leader began his rule with the best intentions for his people but ended as a tyrant, propelled by personal loss and colonial disregard.
Anyone with an interest in British colonialism or the history of Eastern Africa will find this an engrossing read.
I suspect some one has the movie rights as this would be a cracker of a film!

[Anca Mihalache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being unfamiliar with Ethiopian history I cannot comment on its accuracy. However its narrative style is incredible, flowing, gripping. Writing is clear and easy to follow. The story is full of strong emotions. All historical details are easy to remember and it's a story that you will never forget. The topic is fascinating, considering how little coverage the Battle of Maqdala has received from other sources. Amazing book!!!

[Bart Daudelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent tale about an overlooked part of history. Ethiopia is a land of mystery to many, a country that was never properly conquered or colonized, a Christian kingdom in the midst of a mostly Moslem part of the world, sitting in the strategic horn of Africa. The story of Emperor Theodore is tragic and compelling, and the actions of the British military nothing short of magnificent. Read and learn about a little known part of the world and its history.

[Catherine Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Barefoot Emperor was a mesmerizing and fascinating story--I could not put it down. My middle-school-aged son is currently studying kingdoms of Africa. I had no idea about this bit of Ethiopian history.

[Jherane Patmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew absolutely nothing about this Emperor before I started reading and I've become very fascinated (mostly about his negative/strange) ideas.
The book itself is well written and I liked the way the story is told. I was blazing through the book at first then slowed down three-quarter way through because I made the mistake of googling his story and became less interested knowing how it ends.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned on page 22 of 349. Was already getting confused.

[John Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

13/20.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. It was enthralling. Although the author, Philip Marsden, seemed to vacillate between tearing down Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia as some kind of 'Saddam Hussien' or a true tragedy of the only independent country, besides Liberia, that was left in the 19th century in Africa.

[Hama · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read on the controversial Emperor.

[Mark Thuell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and paced but I think I prefer the account by Alan Moorehead in The Blue Nile which is written in a wider context.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating caught this on the back of Flashman